Cover Crop Strategies Podcast

We’re taking the show on the road this week to Boone, Iowa, for a look at some of the cover crop equipment on display at the Farm Progress Show. For this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, we’ll hear from APV-America’s Cameron White, Yetter’s Andy Thompson, Unverferth’s Andy Unverferth and Mandako’s Mark Lussier. They’ll showcase their company’s products and talk about the latest trends in the cover crop world. Videos from the conversations in this podcast can be found on the Cover Crop Strategies video page.

Wisconsin dairyman Chris Conley was motivated to make mammoth changes on his farm after attending a Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Water meeting in 2018. Almost five years later he’s gone from full tillage to 100% no-till and planting green across his 120 acres in Neosho, Wis.

You'll be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about soil health than Jay Fuhrer. The soil health specialist spent nearly 40 years with the USDA and is now pushing the envelope at the Menoken Conservation Demonstration Farm just east of Bismarck, N.D. In this edition of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, Fuhrer shares some key observations from Menoken, in addition to breaking down the 5 principles of soil health: soil armor, minimal soil disturbance, plant diversity, continual living plant/root and livestock integration.

Myron Sylling farms over 1,600 acres with his brother, Mikal, in Spring Grove, Minnesota. Through various on-farm research trials, the Sylling brothers have been able to get an accurate read on the benefits of cover crops in their no-till system. On this week’s edition of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, Myron details how cover crops are paying off, from scavenging nutrients to increasing soil organic matter by 1%. Myron also explains the importance of on-farm testing and shares a valuable tip that could help prevent yield loss when planting green with corn.

First-generation farmer James Hepp, of Rockwell City, Iowa, joins us for this week’s edition of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences. In just his third year on the job, Hepp is already seeing several benefits from cover crops, perhaps none bigger than weed control.

Joe Hamilton was a mechanical engineer for 12 years before returning to the farm in 2015. He farms about 2,500 acres, growing corn and soybeans with his family in East Central Ind. For this edition of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, Joe gives us the rundown on all the species that cover nearly 75% of his farm, including annual ryegrass, barley, cereal rye, oats, rapeseed and crimson clover.

For this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, we’re tapping into TJ Kartes’ knowledge about all things cover crops, from seeding tips to some of the biggest challenges his customers face. We’ll also get TJ’s take on equipment trends, potential regulations, cover crop myths and why farmers shouldn’t wait until the last minute to order seeds for the fall.

The Augustians are all in on cover crops. Aaron, along with his dad, Eddie, just built a 30-foot, 12-row interseeder to plant cover crops into corn. As far as they know, it’s the first interseeder of its kind. For this installment of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, Aaron tells us how the new interseeder works and breaks down the key to getting a successful cover crop stand.

We’re headed to Bardwell, Ky., where Reddick Farms recently won the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award. Fresh off capturing the prestigious honor, the father-son duo of Brad and Joel Reddick join us for a conversation about conservation. The Reddicks grow cover crops on every acre of their farm, and they’re considered pioneers in Western Kentucky when it comes to planting green.

A new cover crop, Nuseed Carinata, set to launch this fall in the south, should pique the interest of farmers looking to boost their bottom line in between main food crops. For this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, we’ll get the scoop from Nuseed North American marketing lead Roger Rotariu and Nuseed Carinata communications director Colleen Shaw.

We’re headed to the great state of Ohio this week to catch up with Dusty Sonnenberg, owner and operator of Sonnenberg Farms and Jay Calf Ranch in Henry County. Not only is Dusty a huge Buckeyes fan, but the Ohio State grad is also a big fan of cover crops. On this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by Verdesian Life Sciences, Dusty shares how cereal rye, canola, rapeseed and oats are paying off big time in his operation, especially when it comes to dealing with dry spells in Northwest Ohio. When Dusty’s not farming, you'll probably find him talking with farmers as a broadcaster and writer for Ohio Ag Net. We’ll get his thoughts and observations on the latest cover cropping trends.

On this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, we go inside the aerial application business with Damon Reabe, owner of Dairlyand Aviation and Reabe Spraying Service in Waupun, Wis. The third-generation pilot identifies key factors that can greatly increase the odds of a uniform stand and what species are best suited for aerial application. Reabe also shares important advice regarding location, seeding rate, timing and explains why frost seeding is a great option.

For this edition of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, managing editor Julia Gerlach sits down with Jim Stute, an independent research agronomist who’s been studying cover crops since the 1980’s. Stute shares the latest analysis on Glyphosate resistant weeds (specifically water hemp, ragweed and marestail), including an on-farm trial that resulted in a 98% reduction in weed numbers. Stute also discusses the key findings from his graduate study on yield response to different cover crop species.

Christie Apple, AKA CropScout Christie, joins us this week. The agronomy and soil health specialist is a farmer at heart. She’s also a self-proclaimed ‘soil nerd’, who works with growers to improve their soil health and plant nutrition. When she’s not working with clients, Apple works on her own farm with her husband and 5 teenagers in central Michigan. On this edition of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, Apple details how cover crops have impacted soil health on her farm. She also shares success stories from various clients. Looking to plant covers this summer? Apple gives us a few options.

We're paying a visit to southwest Kansas no-tiller Nick Vos this week. Vos started using cover crops shortly after moving to the U.S. from South Africa in 2006. For this episode of Cover Crop Strategies, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, Vos explains how cover crops play a critical role in his operation, especially when it comes to overcoming moisture challenges in the Dust Bowl. He also reflects on challenges faced and lessons learned over the last decade, and names his MVC (Most Valuable Cover).

This week we’re headed to Eastern IA, for a conversation about all things cover crops with Ryan Gibbs of Gibbsfield Farms. Ryan, and his wife Kristy, specialize in no-till cover crop and conservation farming practices.

His family experimented with interseeding several years ago. Former civil engineer Michael Vittetoe explains how that got the creative juices flowing when it comes to using diverse mixes for grazing. He also shares one valuable tip to consider when terminating covers.

This week we’re paying a visit to Starkey Farms, a seventh-generation family farm just outside of Indianapolis. Co-owner Mike Starkey’s been no-tilling since 1989. He started using cover crop mixes on his corn and soybeans in 2005.

This week we’re paying a visit to west central Illinois, where we find fifth-generation farmer Andrew Reuschel hard at work, wrapping up another long day of planting. His family has been experimenting with cover crops since the 1970’s. A true cover crop enthusiast, Andrew has tried about 30 different species over the past several years.

In this week's edition of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, we’re headed to Lake Geneva, Wis. to catch up with Adam Lasch, AKA the Mad Scientist. Lasch is a first-generation farmer who’s never afraid to try something new.

Dr. Erin Silva, associate professor of organic and sustainable cropping systems at the University of Wisconsin, joins us on this week's edition of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed.

On this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, we’re headed to Davenport, IA to catch up with Robb Ewoldt, who’s the president of the Iowa Soybean Association. Ewoldt fills us in how the prestigious role is allowing him to make an impact not just in Iowa, but all over the globe.

On this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, associate editor Noah Newman catches up with the event’s organizer, Dean Weichmann, who shares his biggest takeaways from the day.

For this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by La Crosse Seed, contributing editor Martha Mintz talks with Wisconsin no-tiller Tom Burlingham about that discovery, and the overall impact cover crops are having on his farm. He tells us what’s working, and what key adjustments to make when something’s not.

For this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, contributing editor Martha Mintz chats with Dave about some of those benefits as well as the lessons he’s learned in his 45 years of using cover crops. Dave talks about how and why he went from using a single species cover crop to a multi-species mix, some of the unusual methods he’s used for measuring nutrient payback from covers, how they’ve helped him reduce fertilizer inputs by 80%, herbicides by 45-50% and fuel by 10-15%, the equipment he uses to plant green into 36,000 pounds of cover crop biomass, and much more.

This week’s podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, contributing editor Martha Mintz chats with first generation farmer Russell Hedrick from Hickory, North Carolina about how he has used conservation practices like cover crops and no-till to stop erosion, improve soil function and build soil aggregation by about an inch each year.

For this episode of the Cover Crop Strategies podcast, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, contributing editor Martha Mintz chats with Williamsport, Ind. grower Rick Clark about how he integrates cover crops in a seven-way crop rotation, how nutrients are cycling in his system, why he says weeds aren't always bad and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, we chat with independent agriculture consultant Bill Stangel of Madison, Wis., who joins us to discuss some of the ways farmers can minimize environmental impacts by focusing on developing healthy soils.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features Steven Mirsky, a research ecologist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. In 2020, he received the Arthur S. Fleming award for his outstanding achievements in applied science and engineering. Among his many accomplishments, he co-led the establishment of the Northeast Cover Crops Council and has been instrumental in developing the Cover Crop Decision Support Tool. For this podcast, Mirsky discusses some of the cover crop research projects he’s involved in, how cover crops increase the drought tolerance of cash crops, what he sees in the future of cover crop genetics, the impact of covers on herbicide resistance and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features grower David Miller, Red Lake Falls, Minn. Miller will discuss how he utilizes interseeding, relay cropping and polycropping, what his goals are for no-till and cover crops, growing with only 20 inches of annual precipitation, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features award-winning no-tiller Loran Steinlage, West Union, Iowa. Steinlage will discuss how growers are creating their own issues with weed resistance, what robotic options are out there for helping control weeds in cover crops, how he uses cover crops to mitigate weeds, and more.

Reducing Fertilizer Use With Cover Crops by Cover Crop Strategies

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features Chris Proctor, Weed Management Extension Educator, University of Nebraska. Proctor will discuss how cover crops help with weed suppression, how to incorporate covers into an integrated pest management program, the relationship between tillage, herbicide resistant weeds and cover crops, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by Montag Manufacturing, features Jim Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services, Ohio. Hoorman will discuss the costs of tillage and soil compaction, cover crop costs, the dollar value of soil organic matter and more. The Cover Crop Strategies podcast series is brought to you by Montag Manufacturing. Montag precision metering equipment is helping producers achieve their yield goals while saving on seed and input costs. For establishing cover crops, Montag’s family of seed platform equipment adapts to a variety of major brand delivery systems that will conserve seed and nutrients along with soil and water. Explore new options for your production and conservation goals with your Montag dealer, visit www.Montagmfg.com or call Montag at (712) 517-2775.

Grower Daniel Olson, Lena, Wisconsin, discusses how he utilizes cover crops as forage for his dairy, how he transitioned to using cover crops, how he’s overcome cover crop challenges, and more.

Cover Crops Provide Numerous Benefits In Vineyards by Cover Crop Strategies

Grazing Beef Cattle on Cover Crops Provides Economic Returns by Cover Crop Strategies

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dan Smith, Southwest Regional Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Smith will discuss the ideal seeding rate for cover crops when used for weed suppression, which cover crop species are better at weed suppression, how long covers should grow to be effective at weed suppression, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Alison Robertson, Field Crops Pathologist, Iowa State University. Robertson will discuss how seedling disease might be responsible for occasional yield drag in corn, how rye cover crops can contribute to that yield drag, trials she’s conducted evaluating the impact of cover crops on seedling disease, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features John Wallace, Assistant Professor, Weed Science, Penn State University. Wallace will discuss why interseeding might be better than fall cover crop establishment, cover crop establishment rates with interseeding, interseeding best management practices, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dennis Burns, AgCenter Agent and Research Coordinator with Louisiana State University. Burns will discuss why 60-inch cotton is gaining interest, an experiment with corn, soybeans, and cotton in a 60-inch bed, how adding cover crops to 60-inch cotton had an impact, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Daniel Kaiser, Nutrient Management Specialist, University of Minnesota Extension. Kaiser will discuss soil pH values for both corn and soybeans, the range of pH values for optimum crop performance, how growers can adjust their soil pH, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Katja Koehler-Cole, Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska. Koehler-Cole will discuss how soil nitrates are lost in corn-soybean rotations, the role of soil microbes in the soil, what cover crops provide soil microbes, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Liz Ripley, Cover Crop Specialist with Iowa State University. Ripley will discuss how cover crops reduce nitrate losses from corn and soybean fields, cover crops and the 4Rs of nitrogen management, how growers determine the correct type of fertilizer to use, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Dean Jackson, a grower and dairyman from Columbia Crossroads, Penn. Denys will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss how his operation got started using cover crops, their success with drilling cover crops, his experiences planting green, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Jim Denys, a grower from Parkhill, Ont. Denys will be a panelist during the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss his operation’s goals for using cover crops, how their soil has come to be swarming with earthworms, the challenges they’ve had planting green, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Marty Earnest, a grower from Columbia, Louisiana. Earnest will be a speaker at the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss how he transitioned to using a no-till and cover crop system, how he drills his cover crop seed, how he grows cover crop seed, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Mike Brocksmith, a grower from Vincennes, Ind. Brocksmith will be a speaker at the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition. He will discuss how his family’s operation utilizes cover crops to reduce soil erosion, how they seed their cover crops, his experiences planting green, and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features Anthony Bly, Soils Field Specialist with South Dakota State University. Bly will discuss the interconnecting relationship between water and soil, how cover crops fit into profitable cropping systems, the importance of minimal soil disturbance and more.

This week’s podcast, sponsored by NewLeaf Symbiotics, features CJ Blew, a rancher from Castleton, Kan. Blew will be a speaker at the upcoming 2021 National Cover Crop Summit: Fall Edition.